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Cat Ruler

Zee & Zoey’s First Annual Cat Ruler of the World Campaign for a Cause Contest Extravaganza!

Well, after a week of mystery and mayhem, Zee and Zoey FINALLY unveil what they’ve been up too! It has dawned on them that we are literally months away from electing, gasp, a HUMAN into office!! So, without asking anyone’s permission, they took matters into their own paws and decided it was imperative a cat officially be put in charge before this debacle occurs. But, in true cat style, the national office was not enough. They wanted to RULE THE WORLD and that is how this contest was born and how I became involved (mostly because I can type). We decided, what a better way to have some fun at the expense of politicians than to have a contest that goes bonkers off the deep end with humor, education, and AMAZING PRIZES instead of mudslinging and slanderous campaigning!

In a nutshell, six capable cats will be campaigning against not only one another to rule the world, but for a rescue of their choice. If they win, they get to rule the world for a whole year and their rescue gets a well-deserved and incredible prize package from some very generous sponsors. To sweeten the deal, the sponsors have contributed to a grand prize package for one lucky reader and six runner-up prize winners!!! Holy Mackerel and Tuna!!

Now that I’ve got your attention, I know you can’t wait to meet the selected nominees, so, without further ado, THE CAT-IDATES!!!

THE CAT-IDATES!!!

You are probably wondering how and why these cats were selected. Truthfully, it was quite simple – we had their email addresses and the fact that these cats are masters at what cats do best – manipulating their humans. Using that premise, we figured who is better qualified to govern the masses than these cats who have already been ingeniously controlling their humans to cater to their every need and desire for years?

Enough with the formalities!! Lets get to the good stuff… THE PRIZES!!! The generosity of the sponsors has been so amazing, that it’s almost hard to believe, but here we go:

*WINNING SHELTER – 5000 nutritious meals from Halo and FreeKibble.com to the winning shelter and 1000 meals to all runner up shelters, 2000 pounds of absorbent, natural whole-kernel corn litter from World’s Best Cat Litter and 25 Trial Kits for each shelter to give away to new cat owners who have adopted a pet, a $250.00 financial donation and two cases of any choice of odor product, stain & odor product, or litter spray to the winning shelter and a spray bottle odor assortment to runner up shelters from Zero Odor, a $250 financial donation from PetPlan Insurance, an exclusive offer from NVR Miss Litterbox – for each limited edition “Cat Ruler of the World” litter box purchased, $10.00 of the proceeds will be donated to the winning shelter, and, a special offer from Zee and Zoey themselves – for each copy of their book purchased, The Chronicles of Zee and Zoey, $5.00 of the proceeds will be donated to the winning shelter!!

That is some really great stuff and all the little nitty, gritty details on how to enter for prizes and vote for your favorite cat will follow soon. But first, let’s meet the Cat-idates up close and personal:

PLATFORM AND QUALIFICATIONS:1. Why are you qualified to rule? I was able to live and survive on my own, so I have real world experience in helping others do the same.2. How will you make the world a better world for cats? Cats deserve to be treated with respect and have their hearts filled with love. I will work endlessly to make that a reality – especially by educating the humans to understand and appreciate us. We can do this with early human education at the kindergarten and grade school levels.3. Do you have any skeletons in your closet? Hard to believe, but at first my Dad didn’t want me. My Mom kept asking my Dad to go see me as a pal for my late Brother Ivan, but no, he wasn’t going to do it. Finally she convinced him to just go meet me and I came home shortly after that visit.4. What celebrity is most like you and why? I am like Saint Nicholas. I was born on a Christmas Tree Farm and I would much rather give to others than to myself.5. How did you come to be with your human? I got gotcha’d about 5 years ago from one of our local PetSmart stores from a rescue group called Kitten Action Team. My Mom looked at me every time she came into the store and really wanted me, but I was adopted by someone else. They were abusive to me, so the Kitten Action Team took me back. When my Mom found out she made Dad come look at me and I came home shortly after that, 3 days before Christmas!6. What is your best and worst personality trait? My best is that I am very welcoming. As each new sister arrived at our home I have welcomed them with open paws. No fuss, just welcome home to them all. My worst is my innate fear of hammering humans. I simply do not like humans that enter our home and make loud banging noises and when that occurs I will be under the bed providing comfort to the dust bunnies.7. What rescue are you campaigning to win for and why?Kitten Action Team. They not only rescued me, but also Sisters Sascha, Gracie and Zoe. They do so much good with limited resources and it would be totally wonderful to repay their kindness.

PLATFORM AND QUALIFICATIONS:1. Why are you qualified to rule? Most importantly, I’m a CAT. OK, in all fairness…unless my opponents have had some controversial surgical procedure or choose to dress in dog (I’m not pointing paws…yet)… they are cats too.2. How will you make the world a better world for cats? I will give Cats everywhere a voice. Cats will be worshipped for the exceptionally superior animals we are. We will continue to dominate the virtual landscape through takeovers of social networking and will be on every computer, TV and smartphone. Cats will truly become the center of the universe and the center of every human’s life and purpose. I will even design an App for that.3. Do you have any skeletons in your closet? I must confess, there was an incident with a 32” piece of pink ribbon about 4 years ago. And ONCE, in an undisclosed location, I touched noses with a dog… but it was only for a second and we did not exchange any bodily fluids.4. What celebrity is most like you and why? Tina Fey – She’s beautiful, smart and has a tongue almost as sharp as mine. We connect with our fans through humor and sarcasm. We are both hip and cool.5. How did you come to be with your human? I was adopted by Gloman in 2005. A dog person at heart, he knew that a kitty would be the ultimate gesture of love and the purrfect anniversary gift for his bride, Glogirly. One morning, Glogirly saw a tiny flash of black and white fur darting through the townhouse. As her eyes focused, she met Katie, an adorable tuxie kitten with a pink ribbon around her neck and a tiny tag that read, “Happy Anniversary.”6. What is your best and worst personality trait? Best: I am both hilarious and charming. I can disarm even the stupidest of humans and dogs with my clever wit. Worst: I don’t play well with the UPS Man, the Cat Sitter or the V-E-T.7. What rescue are you campaigning for and why?Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary of Saint Paul’s, NC. Cats that are considered to be unadoptable, even by other shelters, and otherwise sent to the bridge, find safety, sanctuary and love at the Blind Cat Rescue. These kitties and the humans that care for them inspire me to look beyond handicaps and what makes us different so that I can see how much we really are all the same.

GENERAL INFORMATION:Full Name: Sparkle the Designer CatNick Name(s): SparkleBlog:Sparkle the Designer CatCampaign Slogan: “Sparkle: A Kitty We Can Believe In”Breed: SomaliAge & Sign: 10 as of June 24 – Cancer

PLATFORM AND QUALIFICATIONS:1. Why are you qualified to rule? I am the award-winning author of two cat-to-cat advice books, which proves that I have the knowledge to help felines overcome a variety of problems and issues. I am also the one in charge at my house, even though, at less than 6 lbs., I am the smallest cat here. I think this says a lot for my leadership qualities.2. How will you make the world a better world for cats? Strengthen animal cruelty laws, ban kill shelters, subsidize home vet services for seniors (both cat and human). Offer aid for low-income humans so that they can keep their cats. Outlaw grains in cat food. Oh yeah, and cat trees in every home and a chicken in every pot.3. Do you have any skeletons in your closet? I am a picky eater. In spite of any rumors, it is NOT an eating disorder4. What celebrity is most like you and why? Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, i.e., Kate Middleton – she is slim, beautiful, poised and clearly built to be a world leader.5. How did you come to be with your human? I came from a breeder in Temecula, CA when I was about four months old.6. What is your best and worst personality trait? Best: slim, beautiful, poised and clearly built to be a world leader (sound like anyone you know?). Worst: I tend to be a bit short tempered with inept flunkies (i.e., the other cats when they try to take something I am not done using).7. What shelter are you campaigning to win for and why?Tabby’s Place because I am just totally impressed by the way they run their sanctuary. Plus they do a lot of work with special needs cats.

PLATFORM AND QUALIFICATIONS1. Why are you qualified to rule? I’m named after and follow in the footsteps of the Norse one-eyed god of magic, wisdom, wit and learning.2. How will you make the world a better world for cats? To make everyone on this planet learn to speak “Cat”. I believe we can educate with humor.3. Do you have any skeletons in your closet? There is a very unflattering photo of me before I lost my eye.4. What celebrity is most like you and why? Johnny Depp. We’re both charming bad boys.5. How did you come to be with your human? Arrived in Oct 2010 as a foster, never left.6. What is your best and worst personality trait? Best: perseverance because I’m a survivor and worst, perseverance because I’m a skilled hunter.7. What rescue are you campaigning to win for and why?Brigid’s Crossing, a unique no-kill, no-cage nature-oriented sanctuary in Florida where the cats are free to be cats.

PLATFORM AND QUALIFICATIONS:1. Why are you qualified to rule? Really? Shouldn’t it be obvious? I’m Chey. I’m a Goddess. I know all. I am compassionate, wise, and loving. What more do you want?2. How will you make the world a better world for cats? I will return us to a time when all cats were worshipped. I shall insist that humans be our slaves, working their lives to make ours better. This will insure full employment by all humans, good health care for everyone all around and a much better economy.3. Do you have any skeletons in your closet? When I last ran for president, there were a number of issues that came up. I was once captured by the Borg and made a Borg. However, that’s over and making too big of a deal about it is silly. Also, there are rumors of ties to the Catstra Nostra that I just want to say are completely untrue. And finally, I do not have a problem with gassiness. Just because I pooted during a campaign speech does not mean I have digestive issues.4. What celebrity is most like you and why? I believe the Dalai Lama is most like me because he too is kind and humble. I know he strives to emulate me and it would be rude of me to not recognize how hard he works.5. How did you come to be with your human? After my human lost her beloved blue point Siamese mix, she started looking around for another one. She tried the Siamese Cat Rescue and Pet Finder, and eventually started looking into breeders. My breeder was very reputable and I was being retired after three litters of kittens . I was not a champion because I broke my tail as a kitten and it healed kinked. That was about 6 years ago.6. What is your best and worst personality trait? I am a wonderful cat. Is that not enough. I have no bad personality traits.7. What rescue are you campaigning for and why? I am campaigning for Purrfect Pals in Arlington WA. The Woman volunteers there. They are the largest cat only no kill shelter in the state of Washington. I have hopes that if I give them enough money that they will take Ichiro back and I won’t have to deal with him.

GENERAL INFORMATION:Full Name: King Austin the First and OnlyNick Name(s): The Poo, Mr Poo, The Boy, Sweetheart, Buster, Killer, My Noble LordBlog:CATachresisCampaign Slogan: “You Can Trust a Tux”Breed: Purebred Tuxedo MogAge & Sign: 5 -The planets were aligned and there was a star in the east. That’s all you need to know.

PLATFORM AND QUALIFICATIONS:1. Why are you qualified to rule? I was born to rule, being a bona fide blue-blooded royal, but was kittynapped when young and spent my formative years wandering around my catdom learning the ways of the proletariat.2. How will you make the world a better world for cats? Get rid of all dogs. Also, catnip will be made legal. Humans will only be allowed to sleep during daylight hours, so they are ready to play enthusiastically between the hours of 1 and 6 a.m. Cats will be able to scratch their claws anywhere they choose, even if it is a human’s leg. Finally, I declare that more resources and money will be put into the care and comfort of all five-year-old tuxedo cats called Austin who live on Anglesey.3. Do you have any skeletons in your closet? If you dig up the dirt under the hebe bush, you will find my innermost secrets! Apart from that I am as innocent as a baby sparrow and as pure as the driven snow.4. What celebrity is most like you and why? Prince William – blue-blooded, handsome, suave, debonair, a hit with the ladies. Need I say more?5. How did you come to be with your human? I understand the inferiors actually wanted a dog!! How people can be so deluded? They came to the hotel where I was residing in my penthouse cage and all I needed to do was lift a pinky claw and they swooned. When they came to, I was already snug and warm in the back of their car. This was over four years ago and I have had only a few regrets over my decision.6. What is your best and worst personality trait? I do not have a personality trait. I AM a Personality trait – where I lead, others follow.7. What rescue are you campaigning to win for and why?Freshfields Animal Rescue because they are a charity that help feral and stray cats in the UK. They have a no kill policy and aim to neuter and treat as many cats as they can.

Now that you know a bit about all the Cat-idates and the great prizes, let’s get down to the details. We apologize in advance for the length of this post – so many rules and regulations, but since we live in Florida, home of the infamous “Chad Incident” of the 2000 Gore vs. Bush election, we can’t be too careful… Anyhow, here’s how it all works. Between now and Tuesday, September 11th, we will have a new post each Tuesday to let the Cat-idates debate certain topics so that you get to know more about them and their platforms BEFORE you make your deciding vote.

Voting polls will open on Tuesday, September 11th when all the campaigning ends. The polls will remain open until Friday, September 14th, midnight, PST, and you can vote only once, so please pick your ultimate Cat Ruler of the World wisely! A very easy to use voting link will be provided at the end of the closing post and it is completely anonymous so that nobody will have a clue as to who the winning cat might be until the winner is announced, which will be on Tuesday, September 18th.

As far as winning the grand prize, starting with this post and for every new one that goes up, all you have to do is submit a comment and you are automatically entered for the random drawing. Make sure you fill out the email tab of the comment form so I can contact you if you win. The emails are private that way and will not be shared with anyone. Since there will be posts every Tuesday until the contest ends, that gives you lots of opportunities to try and we highly encourage you sign up for our blog post reminders (see top right side of blog to sign up) so that you don’t forget to stop by and comment! The only catch, unfortunately due to restrictions from some of the sponsors, the grand prize winner is limited to U.S. residents only… We are so, so sorry about that, but that’s what politics is about – a lot of sticky red tape.

There is one more way to win some fun prizes and there are NO restrictions! For any new “likes” we get on our facebook page during the contest, you will automatically be entered to win one of (6) facebook prize packages we have available! We encourage you to like the page, not just for the prizes, but because you will always be up to date as to the comings and goings of the election! We also highly encourage you to visit the blogs of each of the Cat-idates frequently. They will all be busy campaigning, so who knows what kind of fun and games they have up their paws!

Don’t forget we also have two special ways to help raise money for whatever cat shelter ends up winning. NVR Miss Litterbox has a special, limited edition, marble designed “Cat Ruler of the World” litter box available exclusively for this contest. Just click here for ordering details – for every litter box purchased, $10.00 of the proceeds will go to the shelter. My cats swear by this litter box and this is a wonderful opportunity to pick one up and help a great cause!

I am also donating $5.00 for each purchase of my book, The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey, to the winning shelter that is ordered from my website. This book is a feline lover’s delight and is filled with page after page of stunning photographs and charming custom artwork – to order and to check out the pawsome book trailer and all the great reviews on my site, please click here. The story itself is an inspirational and heartfelt account of my life with my furry felines, the invaluable lessons they taught me, and the love story between Zee and Zoey. I write with the humorous style of the late Erma Bombeck, combined with the uncanny ability of Seinfeld Show – I turn the everyday nothing’s of life into an incredible story about something! Discussing such real topics as divorce, moving, home renovations, and unemployment, anyone can relate to my trials and tribulations and how they affected my life with my cats! Not to mention, the book comes beautifully wrapped with leopard tissue paper and a gorgeous bookmark that makes a great gift for any cat lover in your life!

The last rule is the most important one. WE ARE ALL FRIENDS here in the Cat Blogosphere and ALL cats are worthy to rule the world. This contest is meant to be fun – there will be no hissing, biting, clawing, or litter flinging whatsoever. The ultimate goal is to show humans that we all can get along and that party politics, religious beliefs, and things of that nature that divide a world are not necessary. All we want to do is make the world a better place for cats. We want every cat to have a home one day and we want to reduce the numbers of cats on the streets and in shelters. We want to encourage spaying and neutering and better pet responsibility. Our genuine hope is that this contest raises so much awareness about cats, that we can do this every year!

*Disclaimer. Zee & Zoey’s Chronicle Connection has not been paid by any of the sponsors for product endorsement. All prizes have been donated at the discretion of the sponsors. Because Austin of CATachresis is not a U.S. established residence, his shelter has already been informed in advance that Halo Pet Foods and World’s Best Cat Litter are unable to ship product outside of the U.S. CATachresis has agreed that if they do win, the cash proceeds would go to The Original Cat Action Trust and a follow up contest drawing would be held on Zee & Zoey’s Chronicle Connection blog whereby the product donations in question would go to a U.S. based shelter/rescue. Cati-dates are not eligible to win Grand Prize or Runner-up prize packages.

I already know some of the candidates and their causes, I’ve spent
Time looking into the new ones to me, they all have outstanding qualities.
This is one GREAT IDEA where there are alot of benefits.
I’m REALLY still hoping I win, my kitties and Moi, could sure use a happy
note in our lives.
This itself counts as a happy note too. My stories can get looonnngg!;)

When I mentioned how great the 1st place winner prize was, I neglected to say also how generous the sponsors were. Including also, the runner up winning prizes. And the numerous chances for readers to win prizes and the Fabulous Grand prize.
I complement all the hard work that was and is put into this by you, and the contestants which is on going. The good works are amazing!
I enjoy it immensely, last week I got a little behind on my reading, I do believe I’ve caught up to this time and day.
Sincerely,
Connie Marie